Radim, Don is correct, the heatsink must be grounded solidly. But I noticed you said "I´m using one heatsink for all 3 ICs, but separate with the thermalinsulatingfoil."

This is a problem, because the substrate of TAS5630 is connected to the Power Pad on the top of the device. The Power Pad must be electrically connected to the heatsink so it can shunt any currents that enter the substrate to ground. Without this connection any currents that enter the substrate can flow randomly and cause problems like noise.

We recommend using a high-conductivity thermal compound instead of a thermal pad and especially instead of anything that insulates. We prefer a compound called Ceramique from a company called Arctic Silver, because it has the correct properties. I have inserted a data sheet for this compound.

Problem is, that I can´t use your Céramique Product or any other products without adhesive sides. I´m using Thermally conductive foil both sides adhesive from Fischer Electronic. Look at Datasheet. and throughthisfoilIgluethe heatsink to threeTAS5630.

What I can do is, that I can connect the Heatsink through wire to Ground. It is better then nothing?

I have problems with noise only by unbalanced outputs, so I did another PCB, where I use only balanced outputs and it works without any noise.

Radim, it is very risky to operate TAS5630 without a path to ground from the Power Pad, whether this is causing the noise or not. It can lead to damage to the device.

I am also now concerned because it sounds like the 3 TAS5630 in your system are supporting the heatsink mechanically, and this also is very risky. Torque from motion of the heatsink can damage the device mechanically.

We recommend only mounting the heatsink with a good mechanical connection to the PCB as well as a good electrical connection. Without this the ICs can be damaged electrically or mechanically.

Did you attach a copy of the data sheet you described? I did not see it, and I would prefer to receive it from you so I can be certain that I have the correct data sheet.

You can try grounding the heatsink with a wire, but please make that a very strong connection, and let me know what you find. However, without the data sheet I can not know if the thermal foil is conductive between the heatsink and the Power Pad. If it is not, grounding the heatsink is not likely to help.

Radim, there are 2 types of adhesive pads in the data sheet. The one that uses Kapton "isolates" (5kV/mm, but complete thickness of the pad is only 0.127mm). The other that uses aluminum foil does not "isolate", but it does not provide a figure for electrical conductivity. I am not sure what you are using, but you mentioned the aluminum foil earlier.

If that is what you are using, there may be enough conductivity and capacitance through the aluminum foil pad to connect TAS5630 adequately to the heatsink electrically.

You should not need separate heatsinks for the different ICs. It should be possible to attach a short heavy wire near the center of the heatsink and connect it to ground very close. If in fact the aluminum foil pads connect TAS5630 adequately to the heatsink electrically, this will be good.

- Please understand this: it is very risky to operate TAS5630 without this sort of ground connection from the Power Pad through the heatsink to ground. You must provide such a connection, and it must be conductive, not isolating or insulating. Otherwise stray switching currents into the substrate of the device may interfere with its operation, and this can cause effects including erratic operation and maybe noise, and even failure.

I do not understand the phrase you wrote earlier, "(Whenomittedmechanicalhazard.)...". But I must emphasize that it is risky to rely on fastening between the heatsink and the TAS5630 to support the heatsink. This is not an application mode that TI can support. There is too much risk of mechanical damage to the device.

i am using the isolated version of foil with 5kV isolation, because under heatsink are other parts, such resistors, capacitors etc... But you write, that it is wrong.

SoI can use isolated foilunderthe entire heatsink (for isolationof othercomponents)and in placeswhere areTAS5630`s i make a cut.With this will be the TAS5630`s and their Thermalpads connected with heatsink... The whole heatsink I screwwith two screwsto the PCBandat the same timeI connect its to the ground.Right?

Radim, when you cut away the thermal pad between the heatsink and the 3 TAS5630, please use something like Ceramique between the heatsink and the IC Power Pads. This will complete the connection thermally and electrically.

I did not realize you had included screws to mount the heatsink. I would like to advise 2 things about the screws.

- If the screw heads contact ground on the PCB with a strong connection to ground at the TAS5630, you should not need a wire. The screws will make a good enough ground. (This is what we do in our EVMs.)

- It is necessary to have a screw at each end of each TAS5630 (for your system, 4 screws total). Without those fasteners the PCB will bend and will not be parallel to the IC Power Pads, so the connection between them will not be complete - there will be gaps and they will defeat the connections. So please use a screw at each end of each TAS5630. Maybe this presentation can make this clear.

Radim, have you had any success in providing grounding from the PowerPADs through the heatsink? I hope the presentation I sent helped.

I would like to go back to something you said earlier, that you heard a "noise around 1kHz" at your SE outputs.

- What are the operating conditions when you hear this "noise"? Are you driving other outputs in your system, and do you have loads on those outputs?

- If you are driving other outputs, how does the frequency match the frequency you are using to drive those outputs?

I wonder if this is not simply crosstalk within the IC that you are using for SE outputs. Can you provide a scope graph of the different waveforms in your system? It will be important to identify the vertical scaling. Also, it will probably be necessary to filter the 400kHz ripple in the SE output waveforms to make them clear.

I haveisolatedall other components from heatsink and all three TAS5630 are yet connected together with Heatsink with GND. It seems to be OK, but one channel of 6 seems to be demaged. Sometimes I hear from this Channel noise, and sometimes is OK with great sound. It makes with grounded Input too. So i suppoused, that Output parts are not good.

NowI do not havemuchtime. (unfortunately).

to SE Outputs:

I left the design with SE Outputs. Now i am using only balanced outputs and they are good. The noise by SE Outputs was worst, wenn all three IC were enabled. So I think, that problem is due wrong Layout. The noise was the same with and without load and with/without input signal.

is there any evalboard, where SE Outputs are using? (with Layout).

what kind of signal exactly do you want to see? Output´signal on load?

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